3 famous personalities outside racing who currently own a NASCAR team

NASCAR and, more broadly, other motor racing teams haven't traditionally been lucrative investment opportunities for famous personalities. However, the tide has shifted with the introduction of the charter system, allowing outsiders to invest in a Cup Series team and reap rewards as charter prices continue to rise.

For decades, most Cup Series teams were owned and operated by drivers, crew chiefs, and other insiders familiar with the inner workings of NASCAR. Additionally, successful car dealers and entrepreneurs have leveraged their connections within the automotive industry to enter the sport.

(L-R) Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush, Roger Penske (Source: Getty)

Entering NASCAR as a Cup team owner is a tough challenge for outsiders, but a few celebrities have managed to build race-winning organizations. Grammy-winning artist Pitbull co-owned Trackhouse Racing before recently exiting the team. Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather Jr. fielded part-time entries under 'The Money Team Racing' banner, which has since been rebranded as Team Amerivet.

Let us take a look at three celebrities outside racing who own a NASCAR Cup Series team.

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Three famous personalities who own NASCAR teams

#1 Brad Daugherty

Brad Daugherty (Source: Imagn)

The Cleveland Cavaliers legend was a five-time NBA All-Star, with his number 43 jersey retired by the team. He chose the iconic NASCAR number as a tribute to 'The King,' Richard Petty. After announcing his retirement post-1995-96 season, he co-owned a Truck Series, named Liberty Racing.

Daugherty took up an ownership stake in the JTG Racing team in 2008, which was rebranded to JTG-Daugherty Racing. AJ Allmendinger won the first race for the team in 2014, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. delivering a Daytona 500 victory in 2023. The team was recently renamed as Hyak Motorsports, with Gordon Smith named as the principal team owner.

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#2 Joe Gibbs

Joe Gibbs (Source: Imagn)

Joe Gibbs was a highly successful NFL coach before entering NASCAR as a team owner. He led the Washington Redskins team to nine playoff appearances, four NFC championships and three Super Bowl victories. The 'Coach' and his son J.D. Gibbs, founded the eponymous Joe Gibbs Racing team in 1992.

In its early days, the team had a partnership with Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) for engines and other equipment. Dale Jarrett was the first driver for the team, while Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart have won two championships each for the coach. Denny Hamlin has won three Daytona 500s for the team. JGR is a front-running Toyota organization, part of the 'big-three teams' with Penske and HMS.

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#3 Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan (Source: Imagn)

Alongside Joe Gibbs and Brad Daugherty, Michael Jordan is another North Carolina native who owns a Cup Series team. Jordan has a long list of accolades, winning six NBA titles in his storied career with the Chicago Bulls. A global sporting icon, 'His Airness' became a Cup Series team owner in 2021.

While Joe Gibbs and Brad Daugherty have been in the sport for a long time, Jordan entered NASCAR by purchasing a charter with JGR driver Denny Hamlin, forming 23XI Racing. The team currently fields three full-time entries with Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst. The team is involved in a legal dispute with the league, having declined to sign the new charter agreement.